wouldn’t work,’ I said finally. ‘This is crazy thinking. If there’s a probe, and there will be, the marriage wouldn’t stand up. The certificate will be dated. His mother will know that John is beyond marriage. You and I would get into real trouble. No, it just wouldn’t work.’
‘It is going to work!’ There was a whiplash snap in her voice that made my heart skip a beat.
‘But how?’
‘You know nothing about the power of big money. With money, anything can be arranged. When Durant told me you could forge John’s signature perfectly, I saw the solution. I made inquiries in Las Vegas. There is an elderly priest who retired two years ago, around the time I met John. He has a marriage register. I flew down there yesterday and talked to him. He needs money. His wife has cancer. His son is on drugs. We did a deal.’ She smiled her sardonic smile. ‘The day after tomorrow Durant goes to Washington. I have arranged for this priest to come here. He will give me a marriage certificate, dated two years back, when I met John. You will sign the register in John’s name, and hey, presto! I am married to John.’
I thought, then said, ‘Have you really fixed it? There should be witnesses.’
Her eyes like granite, she made an impatient gesture.
‘Jerry! It is all arranged. This supposed marriage was secret. Two witnesses were supposed to have been taken off the street. I found two poor blacks who, for a few dollars, signed the register. All that is necessary is for you to sign the register, and John and I are married.’
I could see the danger.
‘Wait a moment. You do realize that you are leaving yourself wide open to blackmail? This priest, these two witnesses, could come back again and again, and bleed you.’
She smiled. I have never seen such a cold, evil smile.
‘No one blackmails a Ferguson, Jerry.’
My mind switched to Larry Edwards and Charles Duvine. I was suddenly horribly sure that this priest and these two poor blacks would have fatal accidents.
‘Then there is another important thing you have to do,’ she said. ‘It is only the signature. The will.’
‘The will?’
‘Of course. When John married me two years ago, he made a will leaving me all his possessions.’
‘But you told me he hasn’t made a will.’
‘He hasn’t, but I have. I have a watertight, legal will completely protecting me. All it needs is his signature.’
Again the evil little smile. ‘Your forged signature, Jerry.’
I grabbed at straws.
‘A will has to be witnessed.’
She made an impatient movement.
‘When we were married in Las Vegas two years ago, the two poor blacks also witnessed the will. I have their signatures on the will. That has been arranged.’
I sat there staring at her.
‘For your cooperation and for your future silence, Jerry, I will pay you two million dollars. What do you say?’
‘You haven’t two million dollars,’ I said huskily.
Again the evil little smile.
‘I will have. You and I will have to wait until John dies, but don’t worry. Two million is worth waiting for, isn’t it? John could die within a month or so. I told you, he is getting rapidly worse.’
Was she now planning to murder John Merrill Ferguson? Looking at her, seeing that smile, I felt sure she was. I felt sure also that she would never pay me two million dollars. Once she had the forged signatures, I would cease to exist.
I had to play for time.
‘Durant? Does he know what you are planning?’
‘Don’t worry about Durant. He has his future to consider. He goes the way the wind blows.’
‘The mother?’
‘There is nothing she can do once I can prove I am John’s wife. Don’t worry about her. I am asking you, for two million dollars, will you cooperate?’ Her voice was like steel.
Because I knew I was in a trap, and for the moment, I could see no way out, and because I knew if I refused, it would be the end of me, I said, ‘You can rely on me to cooperate.’
She stared at me for a
‘It is going to work!’ There was a whiplash snap in her voice that made my heart skip a beat.
‘But how?’
‘You know nothing about the power of big money. With money, anything can be arranged. When Durant told me you could forge John’s signature perfectly, I saw the solution. I made inquiries in Las Vegas. There is an elderly priest who retired two years ago, around the time I met John. He has a marriage register. I flew down there yesterday and talked to him. He needs money. His wife has cancer. His son is on drugs. We did a deal.’ She smiled her sardonic smile. ‘The day after tomorrow Durant goes to Washington. I have arranged for this priest to come here. He will give me a marriage certificate, dated two years back, when I met John. You will sign the register in John’s name, and hey, presto! I am married to John.’
I thought, then said, ‘Have you really fixed it? There should be witnesses.’
Her eyes like granite, she made an impatient gesture.
‘Jerry! It is all arranged. This supposed marriage was secret. Two witnesses were supposed to have been taken off the street. I found two poor blacks who, for a few dollars, signed the register. All that is necessary is for you to sign the register, and John and I are married.’
I could see the danger.
‘Wait a moment. You do realize that you are leaving yourself wide open to blackmail? This priest, these two witnesses, could come back again and again, and bleed you.’
She smiled. I have never seen such a cold, evil smile.
‘No one blackmails a Ferguson, Jerry.’
My mind switched to Larry Edwards and Charles Duvine. I was suddenly horribly sure that this priest and these two poor blacks would have fatal accidents.
‘Then there is another important thing you have to do,’ she said. ‘It is only the signature. The will.’
‘The will?’
‘Of course. When John married me two years ago, he made a will leaving me all his possessions.’
‘But you told me he hasn’t made a will.’
‘He hasn’t, but I have. I have a watertight, legal will completely protecting me. All it needs is his signature.’
Again the evil little smile. ‘Your forged signature, Jerry.’
I grabbed at straws.
‘A will has to be witnessed.’
She made an impatient movement.
‘When we were married in Las Vegas two years ago, the two poor blacks also witnessed the will. I have their signatures on the will. That has been arranged.’
I sat there staring at her.
‘For your cooperation and for your future silence, Jerry, I will pay you two million dollars. What do you say?’
‘You haven’t two million dollars,’ I said huskily.
Again the evil little smile.
‘I will have. You and I will have to wait until John dies, but don’t worry. Two million is worth waiting for, isn’t it? John could die within a month or so. I told you, he is getting rapidly worse.’
Was she now planning to murder John Merrill Ferguson? Looking at her, seeing that smile, I felt sure she was. I felt sure also that she would never pay me two million dollars. Once she had the forged signatures, I would cease to exist.
I had to play for time.
‘Durant? Does he know what you are planning?’
‘Don’t worry about Durant. He has his future to consider. He goes the way the wind blows.’
‘The mother?’
‘There is nothing she can do once I can prove I am John’s wife. Don’t worry about her. I am asking you, for two million dollars, will you cooperate?’ Her voice was like steel.
Because I knew I was in a trap, and for the moment, I could see no way out, and because I knew if I refused, it would be the end of me, I said, ‘You can rely on me to cooperate.’
She stared at me for a
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